National Register of Historic Places

Spoonville Site

Crockery, Ottawa County, Michigan
Listed
March 29, 1973
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
73002158

About this property

The Spoonville Site, also designated 20OT1, is a historic archeological site, located on the banks of the Grand River in Crockery Township, Ottawa County, Michigan, United States. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In 1856, John Spoon and his brother, Daniel, arrived in this location and constructed a sawmill. Eventually a small town, Spoonville, grew up around the site, and in 1871, was established as a station on the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad. Spoon discovered three mounds on his property. One of these, reportedly 100 ft (30 m) long and 15 ft (4.6 m) high, was destroyed in the construction of the sawmill. The site, located on a terrace between Crockery Creek and the Grand River, was the location of a large Middle Woodland period village and burial mound complex. The first archaeological investigation of the site was conducted by Able Anderson in 1857. Anderson excavated one of the mounds, reporting human remains and other artifacts. In 1876, William D. Gunning carried out further excavation at the site. More recent excavations were conducted in 1962, and excavation of the village at the site continued through the next few decades. Terrance J. Martin (1975), "Animal Remains from the Spoonville Site, 20-Ot-1, Ottawa County, Michigan", Southeastern Archaeological Conference Newsletter, 21 (1): 1–8 Spoonville artifacts at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology

Location

Crockery, Ottawa County, Michigan

Categories

PREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Spoonville Site listed on the National Register?

Spoonville Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 29, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Spoonville Site?

Spoonville Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Spoonville Site?

The period of significance for Spoonville Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Spoonville Site?

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